TALLAHASSEE — If its early recommendations are any indication, a panel of superintendents put together by Gov. Rick Scott to find ways to reduce red tape won’t be scared to take on contentious issues.

The group of seven superintendents, among them St. Johns County’s Joseph Joyner, has penned an early “draft” that consists of recommendations sent by superintendents from across the state.

The panel included more than 40 recommendations in its initial draft. Some are small, like no longer requiring districts to report how much material they recycle to the state. Others, though, take on programs that have been politically popular.

One of the early recommendations is to repeal the state’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program that allows companies to redirect a portion of their tax liabilities to fund scholarships for low-income students.

The Legislature has passed, and Scott has signed, a host of bills in recent years that strengthen the program, including one during the 2012 session that added $10 million to the program's annual cap.

Scott and many lawmakers support the program. Last year, he hosted a reception at the Governor’s Mansion for officials with Step Up For Students, the only group in the state that can administer the program.

A Scott spokeswoman said that he has not reviewed the draft but “looks forward” to seeing the superintendent’s final product.

Joyner said the panel knows some of its recommendations wade into political mine fields.

“Every one of these deals with something that was someone’s priority,” Joyner said.

He said the Tax Credit Scholarship recommendation did not come up during a conference call the group of superintendents held last week.

“We are pretty early in the process,” he said. “During our call, we got through a few of them, but did not discuss them all.”

Public school officials have opposed the program because they see it as part of a larger agenda to weaken public schools.

“We are not opposed to choice or competition,” Joyner said. “We just want there to be a level playing field. … Right now there is no easy way to assess the program.”

Another early recommendation is to remove the requirement that a high school student take at least one online course before graduating.

“We really like online learning, but it has turned into an unfunded mandate,” Joyner said. “You need the infrastructure, the computers, things like that.”

The panel also asked for more flexibility with how money can be spent that’s raised through a half-cent sales tax.

Fourteen districts use the money for construction-related costs; records show the provision raised $346 million during the last fiscal year.

The idea of expanding how the money can be used was broached in failed legislation sponsored by state Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami. The bill passed its first two committee stops on unanimous votes, but was never taken up by a third committee.